Monsters
by xxRikkexx1
Summary: Kendall's cruel stepfather too often vents his rage on him and in turn Kendall is the one throwing the punches at school. When he gets kicked out and has to go to a boarding school he is determined to start over. But here the seniors reign, and Kendall has to use both his fists and his brain to finally break free of the violence following him. Based on Evil by Jan Guillou. Enjoy :D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is my new story :) It's my version of my all time favorite book, Evil by Jan Guillou, and has Kendall as the main character. I highly recommend reading the book, it's a very harsh and strong story, based on the author's own childhood. The movie is also very good, but as always nothing compared to the book ;)**

**Logan, Carlos and James won't be introduced until a few chapters in, and a fair warning: James is gonna play the part of the biggest asshole in the entire book! So there... **

**It's obviously AU and will contain plenty of Kendall whump. To some degree also Logan, Carlos and James whump, but nothing in comparison to what Kendall will get... **

**It _is_ me writing, so of course I have to warn about language as well ;) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, and the cover photo isn't mine (no copyright infringement intended). I own my alterations to the story, but the original plot line belongs to Jan Guillou.**

**Hope you'll enjoy :D**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

As he knocked over his glass, water flooded the table and drenched both the napkins and the table cloth, and Kendall swallowed his spit, his pulse racing.

The slap caught him right across the cheek and his head snapped to the side. He placed a hand to the stinging spot and rubbed it a few times, his face a mask void of emotion. The smack had been well-announced, and Kendall could easily have moved his head to the side and made the hit miss him completely. But letting his stepfather have this small victory at the dinner table, would usually make him go much easier on Kendall later in the evening! It took discipline to keep the head steady and not pull back when he spotted the coming smack, but years of practice had made Kendall an expert in this area. When wearing the wrong kind of clothes, forgetting to take off his beanie indoors, knocking over the water or any other ridiculous reason his stepfather invented, would add to his punishment, it was necessary to learn the little things that could keep Stephen in a slightly better mood, thus not worsening the impending punishment. So Kendall mentally congratulated himself for letting his stepfather get in the slap!

"A good smack always leaves a solid mark!" the balding man said smugly, putting on his professor attitude and eying the red hand print that was forming on Kendall's cheek.

Kendall chewed frantically on his mouthful of meat, focusing on the taste of the beef, so he wouldn't throw an insolent remark back in Stephen's face by mistake.

Jennifer was looking at her food, all of her appetite suddenly gone. Her heart throbbed painfully with guilt and sorrow, and her hand shook slightly as she mechanically lifted the fork to her mouth. She had stopped arguing about the way to raise the kids long ago. As Stephen put it: "I'm paying for their education, their clothes and their food, so I'll raise them as I see fit. A firm hand never hurt me, growing up!"

Kendall sent his mother a quick glance and cleared his throat.

"May I please be excused?"

"No!" Stephen growled, before Jennifer could utter a single word "you will stay here til everyone has finished their meals, young man! Your table etiquette is lacking... along with your general manners!"

Stephen's son Charles snickered at the comment and threw Kendall a filthy glance, before he continued eating.

Kendall slumped back in his chair, arms crossed and the jaw clenched tightly.

"Yes, sir..." he spat, the word sir loaded with as much sarcasm as possible.

On her chair next to Kendall, Katie squirmed uncomfortably. She knew that Kendall's attitude would get him in trouble later, and seeing her family falling apart like this was breaking her heart. She had been eight and Kendall thirteen, when their mom had met Stephen Waldorf, a rich, stuck up business man, and Katie could still remember how life had been before.

Games, love and laughter had filled their days back then, and though the budget was small, they always got by!

It had been three years since then! Three years of fear, abuse and suppressed feelings! And it would probably be seven more before Katie got an opportunity to get away! She sighed and took another bite of her meal.

"Katie, will you sit up straight! Your brother's bad attitude should not rub off on you! Young ladies do not slouch in their chairs, and they certainly don't place their elbows on the table either!"

Katie rolled her eyes at her stepfather.

"Well, the other day you told me I wasn't much of a lady, so I guess my elbow can stay..." she mumbled, quite sure only Kendall could hear her.

"What was that?" Stephen growled, making both Kendall and Katie flinch, "do I need to pull you over my knee, right here at the dinner table?!"

Katie turned beet red, eying her food and Kendall was just about to retort with a snide remark, when Jennifer's head whipped up.

"Absolutely not!" she declared, her eyes full of anger as she looked at her husband, "Katie, just sit up straight!"

On the rare occasions Stephen threatened to hurt Katie, Jennifer's will to fight flared slightly in her chest. It was one thing to punish a strong teenaged boy, but Katie was still her baby girl!

x-x

To Jennifer Knight, Stephen Waldorf had been a way out. He provided her with the things she would never have been able to give her kids on her small salary. A proper education and a brighter future! And that was what Jennifer wanted for her kids more than anything in this world. They were both smart, and if given the chance would make it far.

The compromises she made to give her children that, were acceptable to her. At least at first they had been! She could live with being the beautiful trophy wife that was expected to look pretty and stay silent. She could live with having to make love to this ice cold man, his grunts making her hairs stand on end. She could even live with having a bratty, spoiled stepson who refused to make an effort in getting to know her or her children.

But when Stephen had beaten Kendall for the first time, Jennifer had packed up their things and gotten ready to leave, satisfied with never looking back. Still Stephen had managed to make her stay in the end. "Where will you go?" he had threatened while he caressed her cheek, making her shudder slightly. "You have no home, no job! You're nothing without me! Your kids will be nothing without my money!"

He had started rubbing her tense shoulders with his soft, well-groomed hands, that had never known hard, physical work.

"Boys need discipline, Jennifer! Have you even talked to Kendall about what he did?"

Jennifer had whispered "no", her heart throbbing uncomfortably.

"He stole some of Charles' belongings... Don't you think discipline now is better than jail in a few years?"

Jennifer hadn't known what to say. Kendall was no thief. He had never done anything like that.

"Are you sure it was him?" she had asked then.

Stephen had sighed deeply, squeezing Jennifer's shoulders.

"I found Charles' things in Kendall's locked drawer!"

Jennifer had felt the air leave her lungs, disbelief slowly filling her. Only Kendall had a key to that drawer!

x-x

Slowly the beatings had increased until they were an almost daily event, and Kendall's attitude in school worsened correspondingly. What Jennifer would call pranks, Stephen refered to as vandalism! What Jennifer would call abuse, Stephen refered to as discipline!

As the "discipline" at home became more and more violent, so did Kendall's behavior at school. Now, almost at the age of 17 Kendall had grown rather tall and muscular, and not even Jennifer could pass off his misdeeds at school as pranks! She had tried talking to him, but met a wall of anger, and deep within the emerald orbs she could see a great sadness and disappointment hiding. Clearly the disappointment was aimed at her, and that broke her heart. She hoped that he one day would understand!

Though Jennifer felt that Stephen was wrong in so many aspects of life, she knew that in one, he was right. The threat from so long ago often echoed in her head. "Your kids will be nothing without my money!" As Kendall's behavior had become worse, constantly getting him in trouble with the teachers and his principal, she knew that Stephen's money would be crucial to getting Kendall into a good college after high school.

And so she stayed with the man, who slowly took away her confidence, her spirit and her laughter.

x-x

Kendall shot up from the table as soon as everyone had finished eating, and the front door slammed shut before anyone could even react.

He threw his skateboard on the pavement and set the course for Dustin's house. He was fuming with anger and increased the volume in his headphones, so the music was all he could hear. A blur of emotions whirled through him, and Kendall felt the ever present knot in his stomach tighten. How could his mother allow Stephen to do this to him? Why couldn't they just leave? Why didn't he, himself, do anything to stop his asshole of a stepfather?

x-x

Kendall closed the door behind him quietly. It was almost midnight and he knew he was thoroughly screwed! He hadn't meant to stay out this late, but what was done, was done! At least he hoped that his mom and Katie were asleep, so they didn't have to hear anything.

He made it all the way to his room before anything happened. As he pushed open his door, a mocking voice sounded from behind him.

"Ooh, someone's in for it now!"

Kendall whirled around and glared at Charles, who was leaning on his door frame. His stepbrother was a first class dick!

"Why don't you go fuck yourself Charles! No girl will ever do it anyway!"

Charles narrowed his eyes, his cheeks blushing. Before he could say anything though, Stephen emerged from his study further down the hall.

"Kendall, Kendall, Kendall..." he sighed, a dangerous edge to his voice, "whoever taught you such foul language? And how many times must I tell you not to swear in my house? I think we need to have another talk!"

Kendall swallowed a lump and backed up against the wall as Stephen took another step towards him.

"What a surprise" Charles mocked "the white trash doesn't even know how to speak properly!"

A mere look from his father made Charles eye his feet and retreat to his room, and Kendall thought that if it had been him, he would have received a hell of a lot more than just a glare for that comment!

Stephen grabbed a hold of Kendall's shirt collar and started dragging him down the hall to the study. Kendall felt his pulse race and his mouth went dry.

"He was provoking me!" he tried to explain "and it just slipped out, I didn't even think ab..."

Stephen gave Kendall a rough tug.

"That's exactly your problem – you _never_ think before you act, boy!"

Kendall's blood was almost boiling. Never in his life had he met a man who managed to awaken his anger like Stephen did! His stepfather continued yelling at Kendall as he threw him over the desk in his study.

"And where did you disappear to after dinner, huh? It's almost midnight for crying out loud! Your mother has been worried sick, young man! Hopefully this lesson will teach you how to behave!"

Kendall heard his stepfather fidgeting with the belt buckle, and he inhaled all the way in, curling up his fists. If he managed to hold his breath during most of the beating, he could avoid the tears.

As the belt struck Kendall, he thought that all this would teach him, was that Stephen couldn't be a bigger asshole than Kendall already knew him to be!

A fierce whack made Kendall gasp and brought tears to his eyes, much to Kendall's dismay.

"Ow!" he couldn't help but groan, and felt sick from the wave of nausea that followed the smack.

"No whining! You brought this on yourself!"

Kendall hissed from the force of the next smack, but stayed silent, not wanting to "whine" and anger his stepfather even further.

x-x

A few minutes later Kendall could hear Stephen put his belt back on, and he slowly got up from his bent over position, his backside burning and covered with red-blue stripes. This part of the punishment was always what he dreaded the most!

His stepfather extended a big hand and raised an eyebrow, and Kendall reluctantly took Stephen's hand.

"Thank you, sir" he said, his emerald eyes locked on his stepfather's grey ones.

If he didn't follow protocol and thanked the asshole for beating him, Stephen would instantly repeat the entire punishment! The words felt like poison in Kendall's mouth, and uttering them stripped him completely of all dignity! As Stephen let go of his hand, Kendall felt his entire body buzz from humiliation and anger! Hate was the only word he needed to describe his relationship with his stepfather!

x-x

Kendall gently lowered himself down on his bed and hissed a few times as the movement sent waves of pain through him. The beating hadn't been too bad though. He had known much worse! Sure, the belt hurt a lot, but when Stephen became truly agitated he would usually spend all of his force on Kendall and use a long, plastic stick, that would normally be used to close blinds with. Stephen had once thoroughly explained to Kendall that he found the stick to be just the perfect length and width to obtain maximum swish, and as Kendall so painfully had learned through the years, the two different tools left him with two different kinds of pain afterwards.

The dreaded, swishing stick would render him completely exhausted always with tears glazing over his eyes, a burning sting pulsating violently through him for hours, and he would have trouble sitting on the wooden chairs at school for days after that sort of punishment. The more powerful belt would hit a bigger area on impact, thus also spreading out the pain. This caused quite a bit of agony during the punishment, but rubbed off much faster than the pain from the stupid stick!

x-x

Kendall looked up as he heard his door open, afraid that Charles had come to gloat. Instead it was Katie, and Kendall felt the anger in his stomach being replaced by sadness and vulnerability, as his baby sister tip-toed closer to him. Having Katie with him at these moments was a double-edged sword! She made him feel loved, and though she was so much smaller than him also made him feel safe. But at the same time Kendall couldn't help but feel somewhat weak. He was the big brother, he was supposed to take care of her, not the other way around!

Katie crawled onto Kendall's bed and snuggled into her big brother's embrace. Kendall rested his chin on Katie's hair and felt the tears beginning to roll.

"I hate him!" Katie growled quietly and squeezed Kendall's hand.

"Me too..." he sniffled and clenched his jaw as to not sob openly.

"Was it bad?" Katie asked in a tiny voice full of compassion.

Kendall shook his head a bit.

"Could have been worse, considering..."

Katie nodded to herself, biting at her bottom lip. Stephen very rarely hit her, and when he did, never with the belt or the stick. Regardless, she could hear that Kendall was actually in quite a bit of pain, and probably just toughened up a bit to not scare her. Katie slipped off the bed and returned a few moments later, a wet, wrung towel in her hands. She went to the bed and noticed that Kendall had fallen asleep.

With great care she lifted up his shirt and winced as she spotted the welts on her brother's lower back. Ever so gently Katie placed the cooling piece of fabric on his skin. As the soothing towel touched Kendall, his entire body visibly relaxed and a small sniffle escaped him in his sleep.

Katie sighed and climbed the bed again, snuggling into place.

A few minutes later all that could be heard were the even breaths of the brother and sister, both locked in lives they never wanted, a dreadful, black spiral of abuse consuming them.

* * *

**So, this was the first chapter :) **

**I would really, really love a review with your thoughts ^.^**

**- Rikke**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reads, the alerts and the reviews - I appreciate it so much :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Big Time Rush**

**Warnings: Violence and a bit of language...**

**Enjoy :D**

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**Chapter 2:**

Teachers had always been a weird breed, in Kendall's mind. There appeared to be two major categories – the ones really, genuinely enjoying teaching and the ones doing it just because it was their job. The good teachers and the bad teachers. The inspirational ones and the boring ones. The empathic, happy teachers and the mean, angry ones. The first group often seemed to be natural authorities. The latter group, on the other hand, almost always seemed to be authoritarians. Authoritarian teachers and Kendall were not a good mix! And to Kendall it sadly seemed that the majority of his teachers belonged in this second, unsympathetic category!

Kendall looked up at Mrs. Volantis and thought, that she was a fine example of a bad teacher! Also known as The Giraffe because of her abnormally long neck, she towered over most students by half a head. Her short, red hair bobbed up and down as she moved around the classroom in her signature jumpy walk. Her voice was shrill, especially when she hit the higher octaves. And she did that a lot! Her favorite weapon was that voice, and she never went a single class without getting to fire!

Usually she aimed for Kendall...

Mr. Brown was another example of the undesired authoritarian! Rumor had it, he still lived with his mom at the age of 46. He always wore brown, immaculate suits, polished brown shoes and a stupid butterfly making him resemble a university professor rather than a high school teacher! His voice was deep and dull, and to make matters worse he taught History. Like The Giraffe, Mr. Brown also liked walking around the room as he lectured the class on a given subject. He always twirled the pointer in his hands, and woe be the student doodling, texting or half-sleeping when he went by! The pointer would fly from his hand and smack down at the desk right in front of the culprit, making the unlucky student jump in the chair.

Usually he aimed for Kendall...

As Kendall dropped down in his chair for the last period before lunch, another teacher was added to his train of thought. Ms. Baker squeezed her large form through the door and stomped to the desk. She was absolutely huge, and Kendall had severe trouble believing that this teacher was in fact a "she"! Biceps the circumference of Kendall's thighs, military haircut and a very manly voice made it hard to accept that there dwelled a female inside this body! When Kendall and his friends had first become acquainted with this teacher, they were sure that there had to be a mistake on the birth certificate, and that this person really should be addressed as Mr. Baker. However the rather big breasts and the first name Jessica disproved this theory!

Ms. Baker had a habit of throwing students in detention for the most insignificant misconducts. Whispering. Moving around on the chair too much. Chewing gum. Anything that disturbed her teaching would result in her balling up a detentionslip, walking to the victim and then throw the paper-ball forcefully on their head, while she bellowed "DETENTION!"

Usually she aimed for Kendall...

And thus the teachers armed with screaming and yelling, threatening pointers or detentionslips always got a riot in their classes if Kendall was present! Their need to force him into submission and respect, only seemed to lit his temper further on fire, creating more and more resistance.

x-x

Luckily not all teachers were like that. Tiny, little Mrs. Headgrove was an outstanding example that good teachers also existed! You wouldn't know it from looking at her. She was merely 5 feet 3 inches, wore her hair in a bun and was incapable of yelling! She only ever wore black, white, gray and brown, carried her papers in an oldfashioned briefcase and wore her glasses in a thin chain around her neck! All this should make her prone to be completely run over by a class of insolent teenagers, but it didn't! When she opened her mouth and started teaching, everyone became mesmerized within seconds. A passion and fire for her subject burned in Mrs. Headgrove's heart and eyes, and her demeanor rubbed off on her students. When someone occasionally mouthed off or otherwise misbehaved, she would lower her glasses and stare at the guilty student. Her look would radiate such deep disappointment, that the culprit blushed a deep shade of red and squirmed on the chair, more ashamed than ever! And thus misbehavior never seemed to be a problem in her classes.

Mrs. Headgrove enjoyed teaching and demanded respect. Both for herself and for her subject! And she got it! She always looked for the strengths in every student, nurturing them to help the student achieve as good a grade as possible! She loved intellectual discussions and never became angry if a student kept opposing her point of view. Mrs. Headgrove was a teacher who made the students want to do their homework and participate in class, and she was never late to throw praise at anyone who deserved it.

Usually she aimed for Kendall...

x-x

Kendall scrunged up his nose when he threw his lunch an investigative look. It seemed to be something similar to Chili con carne. The "carne" part probably rather doubtful though!

Dustin let a forkful of the brown, lumpy casserole drop to the plate, creating a spatter of sauce everywhere.

"Lovely!" he said sarcastically, but dug in nevertheless.

Kendall raised an eyebrow, curious to know if the lunch would be edible today. It took less than five seconds for Kendall to decide that it was not! Dustin's eyes watered and he opened his mouth to let the food fall back on his plate.

"Fucking hell!" he coughed after wiping his tongue with a napkin "what the hell _is_ that stuff!"

"Probably boiled rat with beans..." Kendall observed with a crooked smile.

Dustin eyed his friend, partly amused partly grossed out.

"Your turn to taste the lunch first tomorrow, man!" he said and pushed the tray across the table.

Kendall laughed and shook his head, as he bit into his red apple.

A loud crash made Kendall turn around and look down the cafeteria. He sighed as he spotted Ozzy four tables down the room. The huge senior spent his days bullying everyone who got in his way, and Kendall loathed him.

The crash originated from the freshman now raving around on the floor, with chili casserole all over himself.

Dustin sighed as Kendall got up from his chair. Kendall grabbed his tray of food and wiggled his eyebrows before making his way down the cafeteria.

"Kendall..." Dustin warned vaguely, well aware, that nothing he said would prevent Kendall from doing what he was about to. His sense of moral too overpowering!

The blond quickly closed the gap to the food-covered freshman and the table with Ozzy and his laughing goons. He extended a hand to the smaller boy and helped him off the floor.

"T-thanks" the freshman stuttered, sending Ozzy a frightened look before scurrying off to his friends.

"Fuck off, Knight!" Ozzy hissed in his hoarse voice and squinted.

"Umm... No, I don't think I will!" Kendall sneered.

Ozzy cracked his knuckles, trying to look as threatening as possible. He knew Kendall was quite unpredictable, and concentrated to try and make out what Kendall would do. Unfortunately for Ozzy, he was not exactly the brightest crayon in the box!

"Oh, look" Kendall exclaimed in a sweet voice, "you have a little chili on you there!"

He pointed at Ozzy's green jacket where some of the freshman's lunch had soiled the fabric.

"Better make the rest of you match!" With a swift movement Kendall emptied his plate of chili con carne on top of Ozzy's head.

"Much better!" he said and patted the bully on the shoulder, "this look suits you, man!"

Kendall turned around and made his way back to Dustin. He heard Ozzy let out a massive, angry growl and listened carefully as he could hear the bully jog towards him.

At just the right time Kendall spun around and raised his tray. He swung it full force, hitting Ozzy right in the face. The senior cried out in pain and fell to the floor, cupping his bleeding mouth.

"Fuck you!" he spat, wiping away a string of bloody saliva.

Kendall felt the anger throb in his veins and he pounced on Ozzy, hitting him once in the nose before a massive hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and ripped him to his feet. Kendall twisted in the grip, eyes narrowed and chest heaving.

"Let go of me, you stu..." he spotted Ms. Baker's massive figure behind him and stopped in the middle of the sentence.

"DETENTION, MR. KNIGHT!" the huge woman growled, giving Kendall a small shake so his teeth rattled in his mouth.

"I already got detention..." Kendall hissed, trying to pry the strong fingers off him.

Ms. Baker squinted and bared her teeth in a vicious smile.

"Of course you do!"

Kendall huffed in anger, letting out an "oorf" as the tall teacher suddenly pulled him with her out of the cafeteria and set the course for the Principal's office.

x-x

Kendall met up with Dustin at the lockers right before the lunch break ended. His friend eyed him rather curiously and patted him on the shoulder.

"The usual load of crap?"

Kendall nodded and with a sigh rested his head on the cold, metal locker.

"And now it's Math with Mr. Piss-ant! This day just keeps getting better and better!"

Mr. Pisante originated from southern France and belonged to the category of mean, authoritarian teachers. He was known to be unusually cruel, often using degrading comments to scare his students into submission, and he always carried a little black book with metal corners with him. The black book was a dreaded instrument amongst the students, and Mr. Pisante practiced the typical French punishment of walking to a misbehaving student, whacking them right on top of the head with one of the metallic corners of the book just to follow it up with a blow to the back of the head with the flat side of the book! Clearly that type of punishment was illegal, and when Mr. Pisante one day had made Kendall bleed, the boy had emigrated the classroom and stomped to the Principal's office voluntarily.

Principal Taylor had had no option but to give Mr. Pisante a warning and since then, the degrading comments had increased in frequency, now followed by a smack on the desk from the stupid notebook.

Since the beginning of the new school year, Mr. Pisante had developed a whole new way of securing silence in the classroom, that he seemed very content with.

"Good afternoon class" he chanted, as he entered the room.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Pisante" the class greeted back, un-enthusiastically.

The teacher went to his desk, sending the students a strict look after clearing his throat.

"Everybody turn to page 294..."

The rustling of crisp paper was heard as Mr. Pisante narrowed his eyes and sent Kendall an evil smile.

"And Mr. Knight will remove himself from this classroom and go to the hallway!"

Kendall sighed and rolled his eyes provocatively as he rose from his chair. He took pride in making as much noise as he possibly could, when he pushed the chair back over the floor. As Kendall went up the row of chairs, he made sure to knock over all the pencil cases, making his fellow students moan in annoyance.

Mr. Pisante scowled at Kendall.

"Detention, Mr. Knight!" he then hissed.

Kendall raised his eyebrows at the older man.

"I already got detention!" he said, every word edged with defiant insolence.

"Mais bien sûr! Bien sûr vous avez la, Monsieur Knight!"

"Yeah, I don't speak French... but I don't really give a shit what you just said!" Kendall spat as he exited the room, leaving a completely enraged Mr. Pisante behind.

In the hallway Kendall exhaled, the fuming anger now fizzing out of him, being replaced with swirling nerves. He had just sealed his fate! This day would NOT end well!

Kendall slid down the wall, and placed his arms on his knees before resting his head on his folded arms. Why did his life have to be so messed up?! And why did he always have to talk back! His mother often passed it off as anger management issues, when she tried to lessen Stephen's anger. Kendall sighed and closed his eyes. He was not exactly looking forward to going home!

x-x

Dustin passed the blunt to Kendall with red-rimmed eyes, and blew out the thick smoke.

"You okay, man?" he asked, concern for his friend evident in his eyes.

Kendall shrugged and took the joint. He inhaled through the herbs and felt a much needed relaxation quickly washing over him.

"I'll live, I'm sure..." Kendall said before taking another hit, "just need something to calm me a bit before going home, is all..."

Dustin nodded and licked his lips. He was the only one knowing what Kendall's stepfather did to him, and he had no idea how to handle that knowledge. Kendall had made him swear never to tell a living soul, and his green eyes had been so pleading, that Dustin couldn't get himself to break that promise. Even though, that would probably be for the best!

x-x

As soon as Kendall closed the front door, his mom hurried to him.

"Where have you been?" she hissed in a low voice, grabbing Kendall's forearm, "Stephen got a call from the school. He is furious!"

"At Dustin's... homework" Kendall answered, freeing himself from his mother's grasp.

Jennifer sniffed a few times and spotted her son's red, tired eyes.

"Have you been smoking Kendall?"

He looked at his feet a bit, before raising his gaze to meet hers.

"So what if I have! Just leave me alone mom, it's not like you care anyway!"

His words hit her hard, making her sway and gasp for breath. They left her feeling hurt and alone. And they left her feeling angry, wondering how Kendall could throw his future away like that! Guilt crept up on her, and before she could stop herself her hand swished through the air and struck Kendall's cheek.

"Don't you ever say that Kendall! _Ever_..." she had tears in her eyes, and felt her entire body shake as she lowered her hand.

Kendall sucked in his bottom lip, ignoring the sting in his cheek. The emerald orbs were locked on his mother's blue ones a few seconds before he trudged towards the stairs.

"Don't bother, dinner's already on the table!"

Kendall huffed and followed his mother to the dining room. Wouldn't this be peachy!

x-x

"So I received a rather unpleasant phone call this afternoon. Can you guess from who, Kendall?" Stephen growled, scowling at his stepson.

"By all means, enlighten me!" Kendall said sarcastically.

Katie sent her brother a nervous look, sensing the anger roaming inside of him. The weed might have comforted him temporarily, but rendered him more insolent than usual. His stepfather raised a finger and pointed at Kendall.

"Don't give me any lip, Kendall! You're already skating on thin ice!"

"I ain't skating at all, since you took away my skates and hockeygear!" the boy mumbled angrily.

Stephen slammed a fist down the table, a vein on his left temple pulsating.

"I was informed, that you mouthed off to numerous teachers today and was sent to the Principal's office for hitting a senior in the head with a tray!"

"Kendall!" his mom gasped, "Is this true?"

"It is! I saw it myself!" Charles said with an evil gleam in his eyes, "Right in the middle of the cafeteria!"

"Shut the hell up! I can speak for myself... Yes, it's true!"

Jennifer sighed, and Katie's eyes darted from one to the other. This was bad!

"What on earth possessed you to do a thing like that, boy?" Stephen yelled, hitting the table again.

"Well, he slammed a tray of food all over a freshman's clothes, so I thought that..."

"You thought! YOU THOUGHT! Couldn't have been thinking a whole lot to hit a kid in the head with a tray!"

Kendall blinked slowly and sent Stephen a shameless look.

"Look who's talking about hitting!"  
Stephen's eyes were mere slits as he pushed his chair backwards and stood up. He snapped his fingers at Kendall.

"Get up. Right now!"

When Kendall didn't move quickly enough, Stephen grabbed him and yanked him from his place. The chair toppled over as Kendall was violently dragged through the room and up the stairs.

They entered the office, and Stephen pushed Kendall to the desk. The tall man bent forward and growled into his stepson's ear.

"We're gonna deal with this insolence immediately!" Stephen haltered and sniffed the air, before pursing his lips.

"Have you been smoking pot?"

Kendall raised an eyebrow, not bothering to lie.

"What do you think?"

Stephen inhaled with a snort and pushed Kendall down over the wooden table. He grabbed the plastic stick, swishing it through the air a few times.

When it hit Kendall for the first time, the muffling feeling of the high evaporated and instead intensified the throbbing pain on his backside. Kendall shut his eyes tightly, suddenly realizing what he had been saying. This punishment was sure to be a harsh one!

It took six strokes to make the tears spill from Kendall's eyes. It took ten to make him beg for Stephen to stop! Clearly he didn't! If anything, the smacks became even more vicious, and Kendall squirmed on the spot, crying out with every new welt that was imprinted on him. Stephen could yell all he wanted about not whining, Kendall couldn't help it. He had never been hit this hard!

After twentyfive swishing swats Kendall's knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor. Stephen threw the stick on the table, and looked at Kendall with angry eyes. The boy was panting and moved to sit on his hands and knees.

"Up" Stephen commanded, and Kendall slowly rose.

It took all his energy and was barely audible, but Kendall still managed a "thank you, sir" along with a vague handshake.

"Now go to your room!" Stephen growled and wiped his hands in a handkerchief.

"Gladly!" Kendall sneered, voice raw and followed by a hiccup.

He slowly went down the hallway and slammed the door to his room. Kendall turned the key and walked to his bed, where he collapsed on his stomach. He felt as if a huge class bowl was lowered on him, protecting him from the outside world, and he didn't hear Katie's pleading cries from the other side of the locked door.

Kendall put on his headphones and dove into his own thoughts as the music enveloped him in his pain. The lyrics pounded in his head, the words almost dancing in front of his eyes. Someone out there knew just how he felt. A twisted form of comfort warmed him and Kendall turned up the volume.

Steal my freedom of speech, my liberty.

Fail my rights to express myself.

All this half-lie semperfi stone-faced bullshit,

infecting me to deplete my design.

I'm drowning in the fear of gods,

the more I see the less I want,

I was not raised to shut my mouth,

but as long as it holds me,

I'll fight it and scold it,

all my life.

Merge and fold to avoid complexity,

all we know is a backfire parody.

Know your place, see no malady,

shut your hole and accept the abuse.

Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn,

I don't care if we're all going down!

* * *

**The Giraffe is based on... no, wait – she IS my former English teacher! I've never met anyone yelling in a more high pitched voice than her... And she sure yelled a lot! **

**Stephen is such an asshole! But if you read Evil I'll promise you, that that stepfather is even more violent! Horrible to know, that stuff like this happens out there!**

**Hope you liked the chapter though... Please review and let me know :)**

**A very angry Kendall will be expelled from school in the next chapter, and Eaglevalley Academy will be introduced. Along with James and Logan... **

**Have a great Saturday out there people :)**

**Hugs,**

**Rikke **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Again I wanna thank you guys for all the reads and the alerts and reviews. You're all awesome :)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Big Time Rush...**

**The usual warnings: Bad language and violence...**

**Have fun reading :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Kendall skipped breakfast the next morning. No way in hell was he going to sit in the same room as Stephen and Charles! Or his mom for that matter!

A stab of guilt for bailing on Katie punctured his heart, but he gritted his teeth and grabbed his skateboard. His backside was a huge mess of welts, and every movement hurt as he drove towards the school. Music was pounding in his ears, shutting out all other sounds. Kendall's insides were roaring with rage and the song lyrics served as fuel for his anger.

Bruised knuckles and a gallon of gasoline.

Homicide, rape and abuse.

Forcefed on a diet of hatred.

Shove it in. Shove it in. Shove it in. PUKE!

My life it will only begin when I finally see you go.

I will celebrate death – a divine pure grace.

To liberate me, and erase you.

Right? Nothing's right! Lets die just a little tonight!

Right? Step outta line. Nothing's right!

Hate me, and I'll be fine.

Encourage me – and die!

Right? Nothing's right! Lets die just a little tonight!

Nothing you say matters.

Right? Step outta line. Nothing's right!

Erase. Nothing's right!

x-x

Kendall flipped up his board as he hit school grounds, and walked through the door to the hallway. What he saw made his cheeks heat up. Ozzy had Dustin pinned up against the lockers, a beefy arm cutting off his air supply.

"HEY!" Kendall roared and hurried down the hall, "LET HIM GO YOU FAT BASTARD!"

Ozzy released his hold on Dustin and turned around. Dustin breathed in greedily and slid down the lockers to sit on the floor.

"So your boyfriend needs you to fight his battles for him, Knight! Which one of you takes it up the ass?" Ozzy sneered and pushed Kendall roughly against the lockers.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kendall screamed and gasped from the pain wave that washed through him as he hit the lockers.

He took a second to catch his breath, before taking a swing at the bigger boy. Ozzy grabbed him by the wrist and used Kendall's own course of movement to rip him further forward, making him stumble to the floor.

"I'll beat you to a fucking pulp, Ozzy!" Kendall growled from the floor.

Just as he was getting up, a teacher appeared from around the corner.

"Hey you two!" he yelled and snapped his fingers at Kendall and Ozzy, "break it up, and get to class!"

Kendall helped Dustin to his feet.

"You okay, man?"

Dustin nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

Kendall shrugged and adjusted his beanie.

"Fine. Let's just get to class..."

x-x

Sweat was trickling down his temples as Kendall went to the locker room after P. E. He made sure to walk as slowly as possible, and once in the locker room took forever to untie his shoes. He needed people done showering and getting dressed before he would undress, himself. No one could see the bruises!

When Kendall felt certain that everyone had left, he finally slipped out of his sweaty clothes and went to the showers. Taking comfort in the warm water, Kendall exhaled and felt relaxation wash over him. Being furious and constantly tense made him tired, but the hot water washed away part of his anger and refreshed him. Screw Ozzy and his stupid comments, he thought as he grabbed his towel and dried off the water.

Kendall was about to put on his boxers when a noise startled him. He whipped around and spotted Ozzy looking at him. The bully stared intensely at Kendall, eyes wide. No doubt he had seen the welts! When Ozzy's eyes met Kendall's, the senior took off, sprinting out of the locker room, an evil grin on his face.

Kendall felt his heart skip a beat, and quickly got dressed. He slipped on his Vans and bolted from the room.

Kendall could hear heavy steps further ahead, and he quickly followed the sound. After a moment of pursuit Kendall caught up with Ozzy who was standing in the cafeteria in front of Dustin. When Kendall entered, Ozzy raised his voice and sent Kendall a poisonous glare.

"Oh, here comes your boyfriend! NICE BRUISES, KNIGHT – DO YOU LIKE YOUR LOVER HERE TO SPANK YOUR ASS BEFORE HE FUCKS YOU?!"

Dustin's eyes grew wide at the words. He felt certain that all hell would break loose any minute now!

On his spot, Kendall froze when he heard the words. He curled up his fists, feeling his cheeks blush. That son of a bitch! Maybe the hot water had temporarily taken away his anger towards the bully, but it was back, raging through him like an aggressive cancer! Kendall turned around and left the cafeteria, blood rushing in his ears.

He set the course for his locker and walked at a fast pace. He heard both Ozzy and Dustin calling out for him, but proceeded towards his destination. Once there, he pulled out his skateboard and turned to go back to the cafeteria. Dustin and Ozzy raced toward Kendall, and reached him in the middle of the hallway. Dustin saw the fury in his friend's eyes and tried reaching him with words to calm his temper.

"Kendall!" he yelled "relax man, he's not worth it!"

Kendall didn't hear him though, and just went to stand right in front of the huge senior.

"You're such a fucking asshole, you know that?!" Kendall spat.

Ozzy raised a fist and punched Kendall right on the cheekbone, making him stumble backwards.

"Shut up, Knight or I'll turn you into a fucking cripple!"

Kendall shook his head and focused his eyes. Around them a small crowd had gathered, curiously watching the fight. Dustin was still trying to reach Kendall and grabbed his shoulder to lead him away. Kendall shook off the touch and pointed at Ozzy.

"I told you I'd beat you to a fucking pulp, and I always keep my promises!" he hissed.

Ozzy didn't have time to protect himself, before Kendall raised his skateboard and swung it like a bat against the boy in front of him. With a crunching noise the skateboard hit Ozzy's face, instantly breaking his nose and making Ozzy fall to the floor. Blood poured from the broken nose, and Ozzy writhed in pain, gasping for air as stars danced in front of his eyes.

"You son of a bitch!" Kendall growled and discarded the skateboard.

He curled up a fist and let it fall hard to Ozzy's cheekbone, branding him with a red mark, that would no doubt become a black eye within the hour.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" a stern voice suddenly boomed.

Kendall kept hitting the now crying bully, still only hearing the blood rushing in his ears.

The teacher reached the ring of people and pushed a few students aside, to get to the fighting boys. He was appalled by what he saw! Kendall was sitting on top of Ozzy, landing hit after hit to his severely bruised and bloody face.

"STOP IT! IMMEDIATELY!"

The teacher grabbed Kendall by an arm and yanked at him.

When Kendall felt someone tugging at him, he whipped around and instinctively threw a punch. He saw it happen as if in slow-motion, and wasn't able to stop himself before it was too late. His clenched fist came into hard contact with Mr. Pisante's chin, making the older man release his grip on Kendall.

Kendall rose from Ozzy, eyes wide and his heart pounding. He had hit a teacher!

Mr. Pisante touched his sore chin and narrowed his eyes. He had been a teacher for 24 years, and had never been subjected to anything like this!

"KNIIIGHT!" the absolutely furious teacher screamed, finally breaking through the muffling sound of the blood rushing through Kendall's ears.

Kendall flinched as the scream hit him, and he raised his shoulders protectively as Mr. Pisante grabbed a hold of him again, this time by the collar of his shirt. He twisted the shirt, painfully pinching a piece of skin, as he pulled Kendall with him to the principal's office.

x-x

Kendall was staring at the floor, concentrating on not bouncing his legs in irritation, rolling his eyes or letting out a nervous laugh.

Mr. Pisante had told Principal Taylor about the fight, how Kendall had slammed his skateboard in Ozzy's face, punched him several times and finally also hit Mr. Pisante. During the speech, Principal Taylor's facial color had gradually changed from it's normal pale one to a deep shade of red. A vein pulsated on his forehead when Mr. Pisante stopped talking, and he pursed his lips in a snarl.

"Mr. Knight" he sneered, clapping his hands together, "I have tolerated a lot from you during your years at this school! I have never, ever in my time as a principal had a student hit another person in the head with a skateboard! This is completely unacceptable! I won't tolerate violence! Do you understand me?"

Kendall didn't answer.

"I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Principal Taylor roared, slamming his fist down the table top.

Kendall stayed in his position with his head bowed down, but lifted his gaze and raised an eyebrow. Of course he understood! He would agree with the principal as well, if it wasn't for Ozzy being victimized and all the blame placed on Kendall! But that was so typical of this school!

Kendall bit his lip, apparently sending his principal a rather insulting look.

"Wipe that insolent smirk off your face!"

"But I wasn't..."

"I don't want to hear it! What you have done today cannot and will not be excused!"

Kendall gritted his teeth and shook his head slightly, while a sigh escaped him. The sigh caused the principal's eyebrows to shoot up, almost concealing them behind his hair.

"Smoking on school grounds, fighting, mouthing off to teachers, vandalizing classes, HITTING A TEACHER!" he huffed, agitating himself further by enumerating Kendall's misdeeds, "I only have one word for boys like you! Monsters! That's what you are, destroying school for everybody around you! No, what you really need is a good thrashing!"

Kendall lifted his head, looking straight at his principal. How could an educated man be so freaking stupid!

"Can I go now?"

Principal Taylor shot up from his chair, voice booming.

"NO, YOU CAN NOT! YOU WILL SIT TIGHT, TIL YOUR FATHER GETS HERE, SO I CAN TELL HIM WHY YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME HERE!"

Kendall swallowed his spit feeling his heart race. Great! He cleared his throat and looked at his principal.

"STEPfather!" he said, before plopping down at the chair.

x-x

A rush of dizziness hit Kendall when Stephen entered the office. He was eerily calm, leading a civilized conversation with the principal, but threw Kendall some very stern glances, that made his heart sink and worry about his near future!

Stephen shook hands with Principal Taylor and apologized for Kendall's horrendous behavior for god knew which time. When he turned around he grabbed Kendall by the scruff of his neck, pinching so hard that Kendall let out a pained moan.

After clearing out his locker, Kendall was once again grabbed by the neck to be pulled from the school.

Stephen tossed Kendall in the car, slamming the car door after him and jumped to the driver's seat. The drive home was a loud one! Stephen screamed the entire time, once making Kendall grab onto the dashboard, gasping, as Stephen almost ran over an elderly lady walking an inappropriately fat dog.

x-x

Kendall's pulse was going a million miles a minute when they pulled into the driveway and Stephen yanked him from the car. As soon as they entered the house, Kendall was propelled towards the stairs, and Stephen followed with a growl.

He forced Kendall over the desk and gave him a hard smack in the back of the head before grabbing the plastic stick.

Kendall writhed and let out a pitiful squeal as the horrific stick hit him right across a welt from the previous night. A big hand on the small of his back held Kendall firmly in place, and even though it changed Stephen's usual position, it didn't prevent him from repeatedly hitting Kendall forcefully, making him cry and beg within a minute!

"AAAHAOWW!" Kendall cried, feeling nausea wash over him, "PLEEEASE!"

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Stephen yelled back, letting the stick swish through the air a few times before aiming for Kendall again, "YOU HIT A TEACHER! YOU REPEATEDLY PUNCHED ANOTHER STUDENT AFTER SLAMMING HIM IN THE HEAD WITH A SKATEBOARD! YOU WERE THROWN OUT OF SCHOOL! DON'T "PLEASE" ME! YOU DESERVE EVERY SINGLE STROKE!"

Kendall was panting heavily, his breathing disturbed by frequent hiccups. Never had he experienced so much pain at once! It felt like his body was on fire, and the dreaded stick kept landing smack after smack on him.

Suddenly he heard running steps, and the next second his mom was in the room. She cried out in shock, seeing her usually strong boy reduced to a sobbing mess, and with a scream grabbed onto Stephen's arm to make him stop. Her pleading voice made Stephen blink a few times, and he threw the stick on the floor, his chest heaving from the "excercise".

"Kendall's been expelled!" Stephen growled, before leaving the room, "we need to discuss the situation!"

Jennifer went to her son, carefully grabbing him by the shoulders. His body was shaking with sobs, and Kendall almost fell into his mother's embrace, hugging onto her for dear life. Tears streamed down his face and he rested his head against his mother's chest.

"I'm sorry" he cried "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Shhh, baby" Jennifer hushed and stroked Kendall's hair "it's gonna be okay!"

Her own tears rolled down her cheeks, thoughts circling on the future. She would do whatever it took to convince Stephen to find a good school for Kendall! She wouldn't let him throw away his future! Not after going through all this pain!

x-x

Kendall was sitting uncomfortably in the car, having severe trouble finding a way to sit that didn't nearly make him throw up from pain!

He swallowed hard as the goodbye-scene from the morning played out in his head. Katie had been absolutely devastated and had clung to him, not wanting to let him go. He wasn't exactly thrilled about going himself. Having to leave Katie behind with this ridiculous excuse of a stepfather and a spoiled asshole of a stepbrother broke his heart! But he had no choice! It was Eagle Valley Academy or nothing at all!

Stephen had made it very clear, that he had worked hard to make Mr. Pisante not press charges, and that he expected Kendall to behave at his new school. This was his last chance, and if he screwed this up, Stephen would not lend a helping hand again!

Kendall kept hearing Katie's sniffling cries and his mom's deep sobs, and he shuddered. He looked out the window at the red buildings. They were beautifully situated on a hill-side overlooking the valley. In the distance a river snaked its way through the landscape, and the trees shone in astonishing golden autumn colors.

Eagle Valley Academy was an all boys school, that focused on turning boys into men. This school educated the elite! Sports played a big part at the school along with demanding and challenging classes, and every student was expected to do his absolute best and contribute to the school's outstanding reputation.

x-x

Kendall was greeted by a tall senior when he exited the car. The tall dark haired boy extended a hand, and Kendall took it.

"Welcome to Eagle Valley" the senior said "I'm James Diamond, and I'll show you around, make sure you know where everything is"

Kendall nodded and introduced himself.

James grabbed one of Kendall's bags and started the tour around campus. Four of the buildings held the student's rooms, one house for the freshmen, one for the sophomores, one for the juniors and one for the seniors. A large building represented the actual school, and several smaller buildings were used for all the different kinds of sport the students could choose from. The ice rink made Kendall's heart beat a little faster with excitement. Maybe this school wasn't so bad!

James noticed Kendall's dreamy look.

"Do you play hockey?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah" Kendall answered, "haven't played in half a year though. My stepfather took away my gear!"

"Ouch!" James said, raising his eyebrows, "I'm captain of the hockey team, so I guess I'll see you at the rink. We already had tryouts this year, but seeing as you're starting late I think it's only fair if you get to show us your worth as well"

"Cool, that would be awesome" Kendall smiled, excited for the tryouts already.

As the boys were finishing their tour, James patted Kendall on the back.

"If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Here at Eagle Valley we believe in team spirit."

Kendall nodded and smiled at James.

"So, obviously you'll live in here" James said and pointed to the building with the sign "Juniors" on the door.

They entered and Kendall was met by a pompous hall with a stairwell to the first floor as well as several doors. Kendall spotted a huge bell next to a door and looked to James for an answer.

"It's the dinner-bell" James explained, "the head boy will ring the bell ten minutes before dinner, so you'll have enough time to make it to the dining hall in the main building."

Kendall nodded, and he and James went up the stairs and down the hallway.

"You'll be in here" James exclaimed and nodded his head towards the door at the end of the corridor, "and you'll share your room with... Logan Mitchell" he continued, clearly searching his mind to come up with the name.

"He's supposedly a smart guy, but not exactly the athletic type if you catch my drift!"

Kendall just nodded, not sure what to say.

James opened the door and put down Kendall's bag on the empty bed before leaving the room.

Kendall eyed his new roommate curiously. He was sitting at his desk, head bowed down over a huge book, and he was lost in his own world, completely oblivious to the fact that Kendall was looking at him.

Kendall cleared his throat and took a step further in the room. Logan nearly shot up from his chair and whipped around with a startled expression on his face. When he discovered Kendall he visibly relaxed.

"Hi, I'm Kendall"

Logan shook Kendall's hand and smiled back.

"I'm Logan... welcome."

After the first polite exchange of superficial background stories, an awkward silence spread in the room.

"So, you're another jock?" Logan asked rhetorically, nodding his head towards Kendall's bag, showing off the symbol of the Minnesota Wild.

Kendall didn't sense any resentment in Logan's voice, he just stated the obvious.

"Yeah, I guess" Kendall said, "you like sports?"

"I don't dislike sports" Logan answered, "I just find them primitive compared to science!"

Kendall had no comeback to that statement. He sat down on the bed and eyed Logan. The raven haired boy straightened his sweater vest and looked back at Kendall.

"So, that James Diamond seems like a nice guy..." Kendall said.

Logan licked his lips.

"Some people think so..."

"What do you think?" Kendall asked.

"Me? I don't think anything. At this school that's the best! Keep your mouth shut and blend in..."

Before Kendall had a chance to get Logan to elaborate his words, the dinner-bell rang, and Kendall left the room alongside his new roommate, pondering about his last words.

* * *

**Hope you liked the chapter! Please drop me a review with your thoughts - feedback really means a lot to me :)**

**I got a few pm's about the lyrics I used in the last chapter. They are from the song "The drowning" by The Haunted. The lyrics in this chapter are from "Nothing Right" also by The Haunted. A warning if any of you are gonna search youtube and listen to it: it's death metal, so if that's usually not your genre, it may seem quite noisy and aggressive ;) **

**Tons of hugs**

**Rikke ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I'm sorta stuck in an annoying form of writer's block and have trouble getting on with Monsters even though I know the story so well... One-shots keep popping up in my head, then Drowning happened, and now I find myself working on a new long story as well (James-centric this times, very dark, whumpy and sad) so yeah, be on the lookout for that one ;) ... And now I'm rambling as well ;p **

**Disclaimer: Blah, you know the drill...**

**Onwards with the story, enjoy :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

Kendall followed Logan into the great dining hall and looked around. Chairs were being pulled out as a few hundred boys were finding their seats at once, and Kendall was amazed with how little noise there was, seeing as hungry, teenaged boys normally weren't the quietest breed on the planet!

He couldn't help but think it seemed quite robotic and shook off a shiver running down his spine. One of the more noisy students was wearing a helmet on his head, and couldn't stop laughing when one of the seniors tripped on his own shoelaces and did an awkward pirouette to stay on his feet.

Kendall sat down across Logan, making sure to place his sore body as carefully as possible on the wooden chair and looked at the people surrounding him.

"We're placed by grade" Logan explained quietly as he saw his new roommate eye the other students.

"A group of freshmen, then a group of sophomores, then juniors and lastly a group of seniors at each table. And a senior at the freshmen-end as well... of course"

"Why?" Kendall asked and noticed Logan's disapproving look.

"They're in charge of discipline... keep us younger ones in line, teaching us how things are done here..."

Kendall raised an eyebrow.

"Discipline" he mumbled, feeling another shiver creeping down his back. He hated that word!

Logan threw him a joyless smile.

"Yeah" he said "misbehave here and the seniors are in charge of punishment"

Kendall thought of Ozzy and licked his lips. If he was left in charge at his old school, it would be ruled by fear and violence. Was that the way this school rolled?!

"But that can't be legal!"

"Well obviously if you misbehave in class or do something really bad the teachers or principal Sylvester will take action, but smaller offenses on school grounds are handled by the seniors. They have a sort of "council" with eight prefects, who are mainly the ones in charge, but all the seniors are allowed to correct a wrong, as they call it! Supposedly it's good practice for when we enter society! Fucking load of bullshit!" Logan spat.

Kendall was just about to answer, when the senior at the end closest to Logan and Kendall got up from his seat.

"Mitchell!" he barked, making Logan cringe, "no swearing!"

The senior quickly moved to Logan, and to Kendall's great surprise whacked him in the back of the head.

Logan gritted his teeth, but neither he nor the boys sitting next to him did or said anything. Kendall's eyes widened, his heart pounding away. That was so wrong! He opened his mouth.

"Are you seri..." A hard kick to his leg made Kendall's comment trail off.

With his eyes, Logan silently pleaded with Kendall to shut up, and he reluctantly bit back his angry words.

"What was that, new kid?" the senior sneered, "Do I need to show you what happens to those who talk back?"

Kendall narrowed his eyes a bit, feeling the anger burn inside. Jesus Christ that guy was asking for a beating! Kendall exhaled and looked the older boy straight in the eyes.

"No!" he answered, loading the word with as much contempt as possible.

It was the senior's turn to narrow his eyes.

"I don't like that attitude! What's your name?"

"Kendall Knight" Kendall huffed and crossed his arms. And I don't like your attitude either, he thought to himself, but found it stupid to get in trouble on the very first day.

The senior eyeballed Kendall a few moments longer before returning to his seat.

x-x

Before Kendall had a chance to discuss what happened with Logan, the room fell silent for a second before all the boys bowed their heads and quickly chanted:

"Bless us, O Lord, for these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen."

Kendall was not used to saying grace at home and was not particularly good friends with God. If a God existed somewhere and was using humans as his playthings, watching the wars, the suffering and the abuse happening all over the world Kendall wasn't the least impressed with his character! No, the idea of a God made no sense to him at all.

His thoughts of religion were interrupted when the food was brought in by the kitchen staff. A young girl, presumably a few years older than him, parked her food cart next to the table and moved the bowls and plates over. Kendall couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl. Her hair was long and sandy, pulled back into a ponytail, her features were soft and sweet, and her eyes lit up when they met Kendall's for a split second. She was beautiful!

"Hi..." he said in a low voice and showed off his dimples as she sent him a tiny smile.

She didn't answer his greeting, but her smile alone was enough for Kendall.

The senior at the end of the table cleared his throat and stared at Kendall.

"Seeing as you're new, I'll let you off with a warning!"

"For what?" Kendall asked indignantly.

"Fraternising with the staff is not allowed!" he answered curtly, making Kendall's insides roar with anger.

Fraternising with the staff! Man, he really wanted to knock this guy off his pedestal! But Kendall stayed seated, thinking of his mother's words about him behaving himself, not getting into fights and making the best of his stay at the school. This was his last chance after all, and Kendall would work hard to not throw it away.

x-x

The meal was continued in silence, until chaos broke out two tables down from Kendall and Logan's! James Diamond was looming over a smaller boy, discussing with him rather loudly.

"You're not supposed to wear it outside of the rink! Now, take it off!" the senior growled.

Kendall leaned his head to the side to get a better look at the unfolding scene. He could look straight at the smaller boy who was now pouting slightly, and saw it was the laughing boy he had noticed earlier.

"But it doesn't hurt anyone..." the boy argued and clapped the black helmet on his head a few times.

"Talking back won't do you any good Garcia, you know that! Now remove that stupid helmet!" James hissed.

The helmet-wearing boy didn't budge, but bit his lower lip as he mumbled something inaudible.

"Refusing to follow orders and not able to get a swatter" James said and narrowed his eyes, "then it's up to the wall, Garcia. Move it!"

The younger student looked as if he was going to throw a remark back in James' face, but clearly thought the better of it, as he slowly rose from his place and went to face the wall.

Kendall's cheeks blushed with embarrassment on the smaller boy's behalf. He straightened in his chair and looked at Logan who was chewing a piece of meat thoroughly.

"You can be sent to face the wall?!" Kendall said, sounding absolutely appalled.

Logan looked up and swallowed his food.

"Yeah" he answered, "if you refuse to accept a swatter, you'll get sent to the wall..."

"That's like being confined to the corner like a misbehaving five-year-old!" Kendall said contemptuously, "what a load of sh... poo! I presume what you received was a swatter?"

Logan nodded with an eye roll and a short huff.

"Mmhmm... but really, I think it's better to just take the swatter and move on. Best way to go unnoticed by the seniors..."

Kendall bit his lip and stayed silent for the remainder of the meal, lost in thought. Knowing himself, it would probably be a struggle to go unnoticed for very long!

x-x

Kendall was lying on his bed texting Katie, and even though he was ready for bed, wearing a striped pajamas and yawning Logan was once again buried in one of his many books. The tip of his tongue was glistening in the light from the small lamp, and Kendall smiled to himself when he threw his roommate a quick glance. Logan was cool and Kendall felt sure they would be great friends, even though the two boys were extremely different from one another. Kendall would go so far as to call them complete opposites, and yet he already felt a connection with the obviously intelligent boy.

"Umm, are there any tutors here by any chance? I'm kinda failing math, so I really need someone to help me..." Kendall suddenly exclaimed as he remembered the look on Mr. Pisante's face as his fist had made contact with the teacher's face.

Logan closed his book and looked at Kendall.

"Sure" he said, stifling a yawn, "I'll tutor you if you want. Math and science are sort of my trademarks..."

"Yeah, that'd be awesome, thanks Logan!" Kendall smiled and felt quite at ease considering the math-issues. If Logan helped him, he could surely reach his former B- again.

"No problem" the raven haired boy answered, "I already help Carlos out when I have some spare time..."

"Who's Carlos?"

"Oh, he's the one who was sent to the wall at dinner... He always seems to find trouble!" Logan said with one eyebrow raised, "Or as he says himself; trouble finds him!".

Kendall smiled crookedly. Of all the students he had seen in the dining hall, Carlos seemed to be the only one willing to just remotely stand up for himself. Kendall's thoughts centered on what had happened at dinner.

"So" he said, scratching the back of his neck, "if you refuse a swatter, you get sent to the wall. Can you refuse the wall?"

"Well I wouldn't recommend it, but yes" Logan said, looking intensely at his new roommate.

Logan had been raised to follow rules and respect authorities, and rarely questioned an established set of rules. And even though he found the seniors' superiority medieval and primitive, he followed the rules that applied to the school. If bowing his head and taking a few swatters along the way would let him graduate high school rather unscathed, so be it! This willingness to stretch the rules that Kendall seemed so keen on, was new to Logan.

"Why?" the blond asked.

"You'll get a weekend detention!"

"Can you refuse them?" Kendall continued, eager to learn how he could escape the seniors' ridiculous reign.

"Then you'll get sent to Principal Sylvester to be either suspended or paddled! You get to choose from the two, but with these options I guess that really means no to refusing the detention..."

Kendall's eyes grew wide as saucers.

"But corporal punishment's illegal in Minnesota!" he said.

Logan bit the inside of his cheek.

"Actually it's only illegal in public schools. Corporal punishment is legal in private and boarding schools in all states except two... it's very rare here though..."

Kendall swallowed his spit. Well that was just _great_!

"How rare?" He demanded to know.

Logan looked thoughtful, racking his brain to give the best answer.

"Well" he said then, "Carlos's been paddled a few times, not for refusing a weekend detention though, but otherwise I only know of one other student who've been through it, so it really is rare!"

Kendall fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

"What happens if you just hit the seniors back?" he asked then.

Now it was Logan's eyes who grew wide. Just the thought of hitting a senior made him uncomfortable. In general, violence was not Logan's cup of tea and he had never been in a fight.

"You'll get expelled..."

"So there's basically not a flying fuck you can do to get back at the seniors or avoid their punishments?"

Once again Logan bit his cheek.

"There is one place on campus where the rules of the seniors' superiority doesn't apply..."

Kendall motioned for Logan to go on.

"It's called "The Square", and it's situated behind the ice rink. A big, cement square where fights are allowed. Everyone can challenge whoever they please to "The Square" and no one is allowed to disturb the fight. There are no rules in the square except for targeting the eyes, and a fight is over when the weaker party gives in or passes out! Usually the seniors are the ones challenging the smart mouthed younger students, and the fights always have tons of people watching, cheering for the seniors and screaming "squirrel" all the time!"

Kendall nodded at the first part of Logan's explanation.

He wasn't eager to get into fights and figured weekend detentions wouldn't be too bad, but it was nice to know there was a back up plan if all other options failed!

"Squirrel?" Kendall asked, when he had processed the new knowledge of how "The Square" worked.

His tired roommate nodded.

"A nickname used by the seniors for the younger students who cause trouble. Squirrel because they can get quite aggressive, chirping a lot if you get them mad, but are easily scared off!"

Kendall raised his eyebrows as Logan talked. So the seniors were allowed to use both physical and mental methods to scare the younger students into submission! Kendall promised himself that that was going to change in his time at the school!

"One last thing" he said, as Logan was getting comfortable under his duvet, "what's the senior who hit you called?"

"That's Dak Zevon" Logan yawned, "he and James Diamond are the most sadistic of the seniors and the ones who challenge people to "The Square" most often..."

Kendall gritted his teeth. Dak Zevon! He wasn't sure how yet, but someway he would make sure that that asshole got what was coming to him!

* * *

**Quite short chapter, but it seemed like an okay place to cut it off. Hope you liked it, even though not a whole lot happened :)**

**I know that seniors aren't allowed to punish the younger students in US boarding schools, but bear in mind that the story is based on the authentic book Evil, where these things actually happened ;) Also, in the only Danish boarding school that can be remotely compared to those of the US, the seniors are actually permitted to punish the younger students to a certain extend! Which I find quite disturbing o.O **

**Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about the laws concerning corporal punishment. I did quite a bit of research, but it seems to be a rather vague and gray area when it's private and boarding schools in question. The document stating that corporal punishment was only completely outlawed in all forms of schools in two states was from 2010 I think, so something might have happened since... Anywho I think's it's SO wrong that it's still legal in private and boarding schools in most of the U.S and still allowed in public schools in 19 states! What the hell, man! Regardless, I still think it's awesome to write about it though, haha ;p**

**Make my day and drop a review ^_^**

**- Rikke **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry for the ridiculously long wait! I have major writer's block and haven't been able to make it go away no matter what I do... So instead of writing I've been reading a lot of Supernatural fanfics – lots of awesome whumpy stuff out there – and watching a s**t load of Supernatural, yum yum loads of eye candy and awesomeness – I love that show ;) **

**Once again thank you for the reads, reviews and alerts – I love you all :)**

**This chapter is really short, and I imagine the next ones will be as well – at least until I'm really back in the writing game and that nasty block decides to leave me alone ;) **

**Have fun reading :D**

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**Chapter 5:**

Kendall adjusted his skates and slapped the helmet on his head before getting on the ice. He glided silently across the shining surface and felt an explosion of joy in his stomach. Damn, he had missed this! He felt at home on the ice and greedily sucked in the sensation.

Kendall treasured the few moments he had all by himself on the ice. Soon the entire skating team spilled onto the smooth surface and it didn't take long before screaming, yelling and falling bodies filled the rink. Kendall noticed how the small Latino kept getting checked by the bigger skaters. He seemed to brush it off every time, not taking anything personally, but Kendall couldn't help but notice that no one else got knocked over as often as Carlos. Suddenly a hard check made Carlos fly forward, head first into the banter, and Kendall felt a pang of anger in his stomach. Weren't they all supposed to be on the same team here?! He quickly glided to the smaller boy who was still lying down.

"Are you okay, man?" Kendall asked, and helped Carlos to his feet.

"Yeah", he answered, shaking his head, "I'm used to it, so.."

Carlos shrugged and sent Kendall a small smile, and they both turned their attention back on what was going on around them.

"Okay, Knight, time to show us what you've got!"

Kendall heard James Diamond yell across the ice and skated towards him.

x-x

They started off with Kendall going through a line of pucks, aiming for goal, and James roared with laughter when Kendall managed to make all of the black pucks reach the net. The goalie apparently didn't share James' sense of humor and threw his hockey stick angrily to the side before pushing the goal backwards with a growl.

"Okay", Kendall thought to himself, "hot tempered goalie for sure!"

When Kendall had proved his worth in every imaginable hockey related way the sweat was trickling down his temples and he was panting a bit, cursing his stepfather for keeping him from his passion for so long! He could only hope his work on the ice had been enough to earn him a spot on the team.

Diamond had patted Kendall on the back and told him he had to discuss it with the co-captain after practice, but that he was impressed.

x-x

Kendall was heading back to his and Logan's room when James caught up with him, hollering his name.

Kendall turned around and saw the tall senior make his way towards him.

"So" James started out slowly, "you did a pretty impressing job out there, Knight!"

"Thanks" Kendall replied, scratching his neck.

He felt very torn regarding his feelings towards the senior in front of him. So far he had only been nice to Kendall, but with the things Logan had told him and the way he had seen James hit Carlos in the head last week, Kendall didn't trust the dark haired boy one bit.

"You're in" James said, slapping Kendall hard on the back, "welcome to the team!"

Despite Kendall's reservations a smile appeared on his face. He would finally get to play hockey again!

"Awesome!" he smiled and thanked his captain for the spot.

x-x

Kendall slammed the door to his room and threw his bag on the bed. Stephen would probably throw a fit when he found out about Kendall joining the hockey team, but he could go fuck himself for all Kendall cared. For the first time in years he felt a sense of control returning in his life. He would make the decisions that were right for him; not Stephen, not his mom, not anyone! And hockey was the one thing that made him feel free!

The thoughts of Stephen made Kendall wonder how Katie was going to handle him not coming home very often. Kendall had quickly decided that getting weekend detentions would be the easiest way to avoid his stepfather, and that they doubtlessly would be worth it. His biggest worry was his baby sister, but from the texts they had shared on the subject, Katie had convinced Kendall that she would be alright. Stephen apparently seemed to have calmed down quite a bit after Kendall was no longer in the house and he had only raised his voice at Katie once.

It had been more than a week since Kendall had been subjected to Stephen's harsh punishment, and he had quickly become accustomed to not being used as a whipping boy every single day!

So if detention could keep his backside unharmed, detention it would be!

x-x

Logan smiled broadly at Kendall from across the table. They were discussing the events of the day over dinner and Kendall explained his every little move from the rink, the green eyes glowing with excitement. It was impossible to hide his joy, and Logan felt genuinely happy for his new roommate, even though he had had his fair share of uncomfortable run-ins with half the hockey team!

"... but there's one thing really buggin' me, though!" Kendall mumbled.

Logan furrowed his brow and motioned for Kendall to go on.

"A few of the team mates kept knocking Carlos over. And I don't mean normal hockey practice style, but full force smackdowns. What the fuck's their deal, man? We're supposed to be a unit, right..."

Dak Zevon snapped his fingers at Kendall from his place at the end of the table.

"Hey, Knight" he snarled, "watch that mouth of yours, no swearing! This is your only warning!"

Kendall rolled his eyes, but nodded at the senior.

"Okay, sorry" he said, before returning to his conversation with Logan.

The raven haired boy licked his lips, his fork frozen on it's way to his mouth. Finally the piece of potato fell off the fork and back down in the gravy, creating a spatter of sauce everywhere. Logan didn't notice.

"Well" he drawled, "not everyone on the team appreciates Carlos' Latin roots!"

Kendall's eyes grew wide and he felt a dark, bubbly pit of anger form in his stomach.

"What?" he asked in a deep growl.

Logan's dark brown eyes met Kendall's green ones, and both boys knew without a doubt that they shared the same moral code, though they albeit expressed their opinions quite differently!

"You gotta be fucking kidding me, Logan! How the hell am I gonna work with such assholes?"

"HEY!"

A sharp yell and a fist to the table made Kendall turn his head.

"What did I just tell you?" Dak growled making Kendall feel all about ten years old.

He felt his cheeks heat up, but took a deep breath to calm his boiling temper.

"Yeah, I know, no swearing. My bad, sorry..."

"Too late for sorry. First swatter for you coming up, Knight!" Dak said, getting up from his chair.

The entire table grew quiet to watch the unfolding drama. Kendall raised an eyebrow, and across from him Logan swallowed his spit, knowing what would come now.

"No, I seriously doubt that! I refuse that bullcrap!"

Dak stopped in his tracks to give this new defiant student an investigative look.

"Well, off to the wall then" the senior said, pointing towards the gray wall.

"Refuse that too!"

Dak licked his lips, refusing to show his uneasiness. The seniors weren't exactly used to students not following orders! He cleared his throat and looked Kendall in the eyes.

"You know that refusing a swatter and the wall will earn you a weekend detention?"

"Yup..."

"Okay, well then your weekend is dead, Knight. Enjoy!"

"I'm sure I will" Kendall said with a mock smile, making the senior unable to mask his discomfort.

Dak went back to his chair and Logan sent Kendall a small smile.

"That was awesome and all, but seriously Kendall, like I said; don't attract too much attention to yourself if you wanna be left alone!"

"I'll keep that in mind" Kendall said, not knowing how else to respond.

He knew not attracting attention when half the school apparently was a bunch of unintelligent racists and the entire senior year was more or less power-hungry dicks getting their kicks from smacking the shit out of the younger students was impossible! At least when your name was Kendall Knight and your sense of moral was bigger than Jupiter!

* * *

**As I wrote first, very short chapter. And I'm sorry if it seems forced, but it kinda is o.O Crossing my fingers that making myself write will help with the block...**

**As always I treasure your comments, so drop a review and make my day :) **

**- Rikke**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright... I don't even really know what to say to excuse the insanely long gap from the last update – it's been more than 3 months o.O! I'm so sorry, guys! **

**But now the summer vacation is here and I will try to get as much writing done over the holiday as possible :) I can see that Monsters still gets its fair share of reads, so I hope that you'll all still give it a chance...**

**As usual I don't own the boys, I just bring them out to play. The warnings don't hold anything new either, language, a bit of violence and so on...**

**A huge thank you to all of you who read, follow and review – you are truly awesome! **

**Enjoy the chapter :D**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

The weekend had been a dull couple of days. Being lead to a classroom after breakfast to spend his days with a ton of books Kendall hadn't had a whole lot of exciting things to entertain himself with. Comics weren't allowed along with most contemporary books, so his Harry Potter books and old Calvin and Hobbs had been confiscated, leaving him only with his school books as company. Kendall had decided that he might as well dig in to the huge pile of math problems Logan had given him to practice his skills. He had sighed loudly to himself as the posed problems proved rather difficult, and time had seemed to slow down in a cruel attempt to taunt him. The windows faced the basket ball court and it had been torture to listen to the group of guys playing just outside on the beautiful autumn day.

Kendall had tried convincing himself that weekend detention was his best excuse to not go home and risk Stephen's wrath, but his heart kept telling him that Katie, Dustin and his Mom were also waiting at home and he bit his lip thinking about them. Carlos wasn't the only one thinking that trouble always found him!

Sunday had been just as boring as Saturday, with only math to occupy the time, and once more a group of kids had been playing just in front of the windows, making Kendall long to be outside. He craned his neck and spotted Dak Zevon pass the ball to a fellow team member, and felt an angry burst inside. That guy was a real asshat, and Kendall felt an urge to punch his nose in! Little did he know that that feeling would multiply by a hundred the following day.

x-x

Logan slapped a heavy hand on top of the alarm clock as it went off, not feeling quite ready to get up just yet. He yawned loudly and rolled to his side to see Kendall snoring softly with a string of drool reaching for the pillow. In his sleep he had thrown his duvet to the floor, exposing his naked upper body. A few yellowish stripes were still visible on the small of his back and Logan swallowed his spit. He couldn't help but feel anger bubble in his stomach at the sight of the bruises, but no way in hell was he going to let Kendall know he knew. Stuff like that was private!

As the alarm clock went off again Kendall stirred, and Logan quickly turned around, faking sleep.

"Hey Logan" Kendall rasped "turn that damn clock off, will ya!"

Logan rolled over as he turned off the clock once more.

"Morning..." he yawned and gave Kendall a small smile before getting out of bed.

"So, ready for P.E Logan?"

"Nah, not really" he said and shrugged, "Mr. Jackson is pretty cool but I'd pick an intellectual discussion over a football game any day. I think I'll benefit more from an algebra class than from running around in tights with a bunch of steroid-injecting cavemen chasing a ball!"

Kendall sent him a crooked smile.

"Well, when you put it like that it's pretty hard to argue! Come on, let's get ready for breakfast..."

x-x

When P. E was over Kendall didn't doubt for a second that Logan definitely would benefit more from algebra than from football. Basically the last hour an a half had been one long beat down! Logan had been tackled so many times that he was limping to the showers, cradling his right arm and sporting a regular egg-sized lump on the forehead from where he had been hit in the head the second he took off his helmet!

"Geez Logan" Kendall huffed and lent a supportive hand to his friend, "you're a freaking magnet for accidents!"

"On a football field, yes! Another reason sports aren't really my thing! And playing against the seniors doesn't exactly help either. They're a bunch of fucking giants!"

Kendall had had a blast on the football field, the game giving him a legitimate reason to knock down Dak Zevon! Which he had taken advantage of a number of times! And while Kendall was content with that, Dak Zevon was seething with anger in the locker rooms. He squinted evilly as he looked at Kendall and turned around to punch his locker forcefully.

"Better watch your back Knight!" he growled nearly inaudibly as he walked past Kendall with his buddies.

Kendall just raised an eyebrow and continued getting dressed.

x-x

Lunch started out quietly, P. E making the juniors and seniors hungry, but no days seemed to stay that pleasant for long. And sure enough it only took ten minutes to ruin Kendall's appetite.

The pretty blonde haired girl was serving the tables again, and was placing the different foods on the table when a glass bowl slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. The girl looked down, her cheeks blushing a deep shade of pink as she bent down to collect the pieces of the bowl. A mocking grin from Dak Zevon made her freeze in her movement and she sent the rude senior an annoyed look.

"Hah" Dak mocked, "can't even place a bowl on a table without ruining both! You're damn lucky you even scored this job, you piece of trailer trash! Apparently blondes aren't just stupid; they're clumsy too!"

Kendall narrowed his eyes, rage and disbelief running through him. He was just about to get up and pounce on Dak when the girl stood up. A large piece of glass shone in her hand and she stepped up to the seated boy with the sharp glass in hand. Dak swallowed and shrank back a bit at the sight.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way Mr. Zevon!" the girl started, the word Mr. loaded with mocking sarcasm, "but honestly, the fact that you would even say such a thing says more about you than it does me! I may not come from a family with a trophy mom, a business father and a nanny who wiped my ass with dollar bills, but I was raised with love and respect, something you will never know!"

Kendall couldn't hold back a roaring laugh and the girl sent him a warm smile. Dak Zevon, on the other hand, had developed a nice tomato red facial color and looked like someone just stole his favorite toy. He quietly filled his plate with food and shot Kendall an angry scowl before digging into the salad and meat.

Kendall got off his chair and squatted down to help pick up the glass. As he dumped a handful of shards into the waste bin on the girl's cart he took a deep breath and looked at the blonde haired beauty in front of him.

"Well that was awesome!" he stated in a low voice, showing off his dimples, "anyone givin' Dak that kind of verbal ass kicking is considered a friend of mine. What's your name?"

"I might be blonde and clumsy, and I might not have been born a millionaire, but I'm not stupid, and nobody talks to me that way! I'm Jo..."

She smiled at Kendall, once again making his insides melt and his knees feel wobbly.

"Hi Jo, I'm Kendall..."

"Yeah, I know... I hear you already have a rep here for being a bit mouthy and refusing to follow the rules!"

Kendall didn't know what to say and instead opened and closed his mouth a few times, resembling a fish out of water.

"I don't think that's a bad thing..." Jo added with a small crooked smile, "just take care of yourself Kendall, these guys might be worse than you think!"

"Get back in your seat, Knight!" Dak growled, and a look from Logan persuaded Kendall to follow orders.

"What a douchebag!" Logan mumbled under his breath and Kendall silently agreed.

After lunch James Diamond stood up, asking for attention. Kendall didn't have time to ask Logan what was about to happen until the tall senior started talking.

"Okay, the following students must report at the seniors' lounge after classes."

Kendall raised an eyebrow and once again disapproved of the power given to the oldest students. One gloating look from Dak Zevon made Kendall sigh loudly, and the next second his name was called. Across from him Logan shot him a nervous glance. This probably would not end well!

x-x

Along with the other students who had been named, Kendall made his way to the seniors' lounge in the afternoon. He looked around, clearly sensing apprehension and fear among the other boys.

They were called in one after the other, Kendall being called in last. The room he entered was decorated with couches, bean bags and a pool table. A huge TV with a Playstation and tons of games filled an entire wall and Kendall raised his brows. Belonging to the rich seniors clearly had its perks!

A huge pile of dirty football uniforms took up one of the corners of the room, and noticing the look on Dak Zevon's face Kendall didn't doubt their purpose.

"What do you want?!" Kendall spat rather aggressively and crossed his arms.

Dak, who was slumped comfortably in a bean bag, shook his head.

"You need to learn to watch that attitude Knight or you're gonna find yourself in some serious shit!"

Kendall didn't say anything but placed his hands in his pockets to keep himself calm.

Dak motioned towards the muddy equipment before smiling at Kendall.

"Our gear needs cleaning!" he said evilly, "consider it punishment for your bad attitude!"

"Keep dreamin'" Kendall said, "I'm not doing that, so you can clean your own god damn uniforms!"

"If you don't clean them that's another weekend detention" Dak threatened, looking rather uncomfortable with the fact that this Knight kid kept opposing him.

"Whatever man" Kendall replied and took pride in seeing how much his words pissed off the senior in front of him.

James, who had been playing a game of pool, turned around and looked at Kendall.

"Just clean the gear Kendall" he said calmly, "get it done and wipe the slate clean. We're all playing together on the hockey team, and I prefer my players to be able to at least be in the same room!"

"I respect that" Kendall sighed, "but I'm not gonna clean your filthy stuff so just tell me how many weekends my supposed attitude is worth so I can get outta here!"

James glared at Kendall for a short while, before shaking his head and returning to the game of pool. Dak Zevon scratched his forehead and got up from the bean bag. He approached Kendall, getting right in his face, and opened his mouth in a sneer.

"A month" he said sounding content with himself, "your ass ain't going home until Thanksgiving!"

"Whatever!" Kendall said again, leaving a stunned senior behind as he strode out of the room, giving a football helmet a kick that sent it soaring across the room.

x-x

On their way back to the juniors' house after dinner, Carlos caught up with Kendall and Logan and sent them a quick look. He seemed antsy and cleared his throat.

"Dak Zevon challenged Randy Watson to the square!" the little Latino exclaimed, looking from one to the other.

Logan licked his lips and stuffed his hands deep down the pockets. Randy was one of the smartest kids at school, and to Logan's knowledge hated fighting just as much as he did himself.

"I'm not going" Logan said immediately, feeling his cheeks blush a bit.

"Well I am" Carlos said, "Randy's gonna need some moral support!"

"The guy's almost as blind as a bat, he won't know you're even there Carlos" sighed Logan and shot Kendall a look, "You gonna go watch a pointless act of violence?"

"Look, I know you don't approve, but I wanna see how the Square works and check out Zevon's fighting skills... the way that guy presents himself, you'd think he was a fucking black belt!"

Logan silently nodded and trudged off towards the juniors' building while Carlos and Kendall set off in the other direction.

x-x

The Square was already surrounded by people, the voices buzzing from nervous excitement. Most of the seniors were gathered on one side, watching the under-classmen with slight interest. Dak was stretching a bit, jumping on the spot to get himself ready and on the other side og the square a guy that Kendall guessed to be Randy was shivering from fear.

The familiar knot of anger pulsated in Kendall's stomach as he looked at Randy. The kid had a tiny frame and was the scrawniest boy Kendall had ever seen. He had a huge mop of red hair, braises and the thickest glasses ever worn by a human being! No way that guy could fight a freakin' fly! He was going to get squashed in there, no matter Zevon's fighting skills!

"Okay, let's go!" Dak growled loudly, making the onlookers hoot and whistle.

Randy scrambled onto the cement square, his hands curled into girly fists, and Kendall shook his head.

"Man, his thumbs are tucked into his palms! If he hits anything with his hands that way, he'll break his thumbs!"

Carlos gave Kendall a quick look before the fight began and squinted in expectation of the coming punch.

Dak quickly approached Randy and raised a fist. Just before releasing the punch he raised the other hand and cruelly yanked the glasses off Randy.

"We can't have your precious magnifying-glasses breaking from me hitting you in the nose now, can we Randy!"

With a sickening crunch the fist made contact with Randy's nose, causing blood to pour out the poor kid's face. Kendall experienced a flashback to the episode at school, and felt his stomach do a flip. Had he been Dak in that situation! No! Ozzy was the biggest bully on the planet, and he had had it coming for a long time! Randy was as innocent as a baby, and Kendall felt sure that Dak had chosen him because he wanted to be certain of his own victory. The reason for the fight had to be a way for Dak to reclaim some self-esteem after a day of being tackled by Kendall, badmouthed by a staff member and then ridiculed; again by Kendall! Kendall flinched as his train of thought was broken as another punch made contact with Randy. This time it caught him right in the stomach making the small boy crumble to the ground. Tears spilled down his bloodstained cheeks, and he was clearly sobbing.

"I give, I give!" he squeaked weakly and Dak triumphantly raised his arms in the air.

"YEAH!" he roared, fist bumping with James who sent him a sly smile.

Dak threw the glasses on the ground and gave them a hard stomp, making Kendall's temper flare further.

"Yeah, congratulations!" he said loudly "you succeeded in beating the crap out of a guy half your size after depriving him of his glasses so he didn't stand a chance! What a great warrior!"

The crowd grew silent and everyone looked from Dak to Kendall in expectation of further drama. Carlos grabbed a hold of Kendall's arm to make sure he didn't do anything by impulse and tried calming him down.

"Maybe I should challenge you next, Knight!" Dak yelled, "But you're probably all words and no action!"

"Bring it on, asshole!" Kendall replied angrily extending his arms to the sides.

"Okay, that's enough!" James Diamond stated sternly while he grabbed Dak around the shoulders, "forget it Dak, just chill dude. Let's go back to the lounge and relax, okay!"

Dak mumbled something inaudible and let himself be dragged away by James, who sent Kendall one last look before leaving the area.

The group of boys scattered and Kendall and Carlos went to the crying Randy, who was still sitting on the ground, a hand pressed to his stomach.

"Hey, you're gonna be fine, okay" Kendall said soothingly as Carlos helped the boy off the ground.

"N-no, it' not o-okay!" Randy hiccupped, "that j-jackass broke my glasses! My Dad is g-gonna go mental when he finds o-out!"

"But I bet your Dad ain't as scary as Dak, right?" Carlos tried encouragingly and nudged Randy in the ribs, making the boy double over in pain.

"Shit, I'm sorry Randy, I didn't-"

"No, I know Carlos, it's okay, you're just trying to be nice..."

x-x

After walking Randy to the nurse, Carlos and Kendall turned to walk to their respective dorms.

"Kendall" Carlos started "you really should listen to Logan and relax a bit. These guys aren't kidding!"

"Neither am I. Why the hell can't anyone see how wrong all this is! If stuff is gonna change someone has to refuse these ridiculous punishments and help open people's eyes!"

"Don't get me wrong, I agree with you and all that, and it's nice that someone else is the whipping boy for a change, but Dak and James are fucking asshats, dude!"

"You ever been challenged to the Square Carlos?" Kendall asked.

The Latino nodded and licked his lips.

"Yeah, twice actually... Got beat up pretty bad, too..."

"Don't you want for stuff like that to end?!"

"Of course I do, but refusing swatters and the wall and getting weekend detentions aren't gonna stop these guys from doing what they do, Kendall... It just shows them you're fun to target since you won't follow their rules. No one has ever gotten a senior to give up in the square, and until that happens nothing is gonna change!"

"Well, I'd prefer solving the issues with words instead of fists, really..."

"That won't happen. These guys only speak one language!"

Deep in thought Kendall said his goodnights to Carlos and continued towards the junior building. Seeing Randy getting beat up had left him in a frustrated mood, making him cuss inwardly. Why the hell did violence seem to follow him where ever he went!

x-x

As Carlos walked back to his dorm he couldn't help but hope that Kendall would actually be able to change Eagle Valley, but the way things were looking right now he was more prone to think that this new stubborn kid just had a subconscious need to look for trouble...

* * *

**I think that was it for this chapter... Please let me know what you think :D**

**Hopefully I'll get started on the next chapter in the weekend, so it won't be 3 month until I update again ;) But writing this chapter it felt like my BTR writer's block has finally gone, so I'm pretty confident that I'll have another chapter up rather shortly :)**

**Peace out,**

**Rikke **


End file.
